Adding points to HGVC

[travel girl 2]

Question for all you HGVC experts. We own a 1 bed Gold at South Beach with HGVC. This gives us 3400 points and about $600 in fees annually.

We have made the following exchanges:

Disney World at HGVC Sea World, December 2005, 10 days- 3 Bed - borrowed points
Grand Velas - 2 bed 1 week March 2007 - used bonus points received when we purchases retail BEFORE TUG!!!
Eagle Crest - 2 bed 1 week August 2007 - used 170 banked points left from borrowing to go to Disney, all of 2007 points and a little 2008 points

My question is...I am thinking that we will eventually want to add points to our account as we are always wanting a bigger unit to bring friends, or more vacation time. I would love to be able to do a couple weekenders to Vegas or Whistler (we live in WA) PLUS our one big vacation each year. OR do an adults only week and a family week each year.

So, since I purchased from the developer the first time, I often get offers to upgrade to a better unit/season/more points. They will give me what I paid for the original and then I get the additional points with only one maintance fee. OR...should I purchase another contract on my own resale and combine the points??

What do all of you HGVC owners do when you are trying to add points to your account and maximize your vacations while minimizing your maintance fees??

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[CaliDave]

How many total points do you want?

If 7000 or less. You are better off selling your South Beach. Be aware, you'll probably get about $4K.

Then buying 7000 in Orlando or Vegas for $12K or a cost of $8000 after you sell Miami.

If you upgrade with HGVC direct. They will give you the original paid price. I dont know how much that was, but lets guess at $10K? Then they sell you 7000 at Orlando for $22K. You'll be paying and extra $12K.

If you want to keep Souith Beach and buy another 3400 or 5000 points. You will be paying 2 maint fee's, but the cost will be much less.
You can get 3400 for $4K or 5000 for $7K or so.

I would email sethnock@hotmail.com to get some resale pricing and options.

Good luck

 

[vacationtime1]

Can HGVC accounts be combined?

CaliDave raises an intriguing question -- can a member combine points from separate ownership interests? Travel Girl owns 3400 points; if she bought 5000 additional points, could she then reserve a 8400 point T/S?

She would pay more MF's than if she had a single owndership interest, but she would save an enormous amount of acquisition cost.

 

[CaliDave]

You can do this if you buy Hilton developed properties. (not affiliates)

My account has 3 ownerships. I pay one membership fee and 3 maint fees.

You need to make sure they are both deeded "exactly" the same way with the same names

 

[travel girl 2]

That is really good infromation! I hadn't gotten to the nitty gritty of how to combine the points. But it is nice to know I could pick up a less expensive resale of 3400 points and then combine the points in my account as long as the names are correct.

I now need to do the math on paying another $600 a year versus paying a larger outlay of cash up front to have one smaller annual fee...OH the headaches! Math was never my strong subject - I will make a spreadsheet to make it easier on myself!

 

[lakers]

Combining Points

You can do this if you buy Hilton developed properties. (not affiliates)

My account has 3 ownerships. I pay one membership fee and 3 maint fees.

You need to make sure they are both deeded "exactly" the same way with the same names

I own @ Tuscany and at the Bay Club (affiliate). I cannot combine the points myself online, but they can be combined if I call into HGVC to make the reservation.

 

[CaliDave]

I own @ Tuscany and at the Bay Club (affiliate). I cannot combine the points myself online, but they can be combined if I call into HGVC to make the reservation.

You're right, they can be combined via phone to make a reservation, but don't you still pay 2 membership fees?

 

[dvc_john]

I guess I must not be following this thread correctly.

I own 3 affiliates and 2 Hilton developed properties. I pay 5 MF's, and 1 club fee. I make all my reservations online using whatever points are available, whether from the affiliates or the Hilton properties. The online reservation system doesn't seem to care where the points came from, and the balances shown don't distinguish what points are from what resort, although internally I imagine it does keep track. I'm sure I've made reservations at resorts I don't own using points from more than 1 other resort.

 

[Steve]

You're right, they can be combined via phone to make a reservation, but don't you still pay 2 membership fees?

No, you only pay 1 membership fee. I own at Hurricane House on Sanibel Island and Club Regency on Marco Island...and I only pay 1 membership fee for both.

Joining HGVC was also a good deal as I only had to pay one startup fee for both weeks. It was discounted from $399 to $199...so it only cost me $99.50 per week. That's a bargain.

Steve

 

[jlee2070]

I did this EXACT thing with Seth Nock's help...

I originally owned 3400 points at Las Vegas Hilton (sadly, purchased directly from Hilton years ago). I wanted more points and debated on what to do (sell and buy or buy an addition unit)...

I ended up buying another 3500 points from Seth for $3200 @ Flamingo Hilton in Vegas (I hardly ever go to Vegas)... While I am paying 2 maint. fee's, I pay only one Membership to HGVC. The points are combined into my one account and as long as you make your reservations 9 months out, points are points... The 2 maint fees for 2nd unit divided into the alternative of buying 7000 points (and selling my 3400 points for $3500, if lucky) for about $13K resale made a break-even at about 20 years or something like that. Too long to worry about so paying the 2nd maint fee was still better...

Just my experience...

 

[CaliDave]

Thanks Steve and John, I didnt realize affliates and HGVC bult properties could be combined. Thats great info.

 

[Seth Nock]

I would recommend buying a second unit, rather than upgrading. To upgrade through Hilton, you will pobably have to pay about $15000 to upgrade from a 3400 point unit to a 7000 point unit. For roughly $4000, you can buy another unit of about 3500 points. You would save about $9000 but have an extra maintenance fee each year. Just make sure the 2 units are deeded the same. Look into buying a 5000 point unit on the resale market, as your total would be 8400 points, you will save a significant amount vs upgrading.

 

[travel girl 2]

Thanks Thanks Thanks

You guys are GREAT!

I will now avoid all the mail that Hilton sends to upgrade, and begin saving my pennies for another contract with Seth! Of course, I need a sprinkler system, fence and some landscaping too, but now Hilton contract can go on the list for less than $10K. (There is always something) I am excited about the prospect of making a reservation without deleting every point I have and then some for a one week vacation!

We live in such a great travel area, I would really like to take advantage of some mid-week, low season, trades with fewer points. Right now, I just don't have any to spare!

Thanks again for all your help and knowledge!

 

[biswassb]

We live in such a great travel area, I would really like to take advantage of some mid-week, low season, trades with fewer points. Right now, I just don't have any to spare!

Thanks again for all your help and knowledge!

In that event, you should look into RCI points resorts. You will be able to get plenty of Extra Vacation weeks and Last Call weeks at very low cost, that you can not access now from RCI. You should be able to get a 50000 or more RCI point resort for about $4000 in Ebay. I bought Barrier Island Station, Duck, NC Outer banks with 67500 points for about that with $450 MF. That gives me three weeks or more excluding Extra vacation amd Last Call. I could not get anything close with HGVC 7000 points with $795 MF.

P.S. There are plenty of HGVC Las vegas & Orlando also available in RCI Extra Vacations.

 

[travel girl 2]

In that event, you should look into RCI points resorts. You will be able to get plenty of Extra Vacation weeks and Last Call weeks at very low cost, that you can not access now from RCI. You should be able to get a 50000 or more RCI point resort for about $4000 in Ebay. I bought Barrier Island Station, Duck, NC Outer banks with 67500 points for about that with $450 MF. That gives me three weeks or more excluding Extra vacation amd Last Call. I could not get anything close with HGVC 7000 points with $795 MF.

P.S. There are plenty of HGVC Las vegas & Orlando also available in RCI Extra Vacations.

Gotta take these things slowly with a hubby that doesn't totally believe. He likes HGVC and sees the value there. for now, I would be happy adding points. LATER...when the kids are grown and I want to vacation MORE...I will start the TS addiction discussed on one of the other boards...OH, I can't wait to grow up and be like some of THOSE COOL people!!!

 

[MLC]

If you want to know Hilton, you call Seth Nocks. He is by far the expert on Hilton. I own several Hiltons and all I pay is one club fee. I can not add to any advice on this thread because the people who have posted have given excellant advice. Good job tuggers.

 

[short]

Transfer fee?

No, you only pay 1 membership fee. I own at Hurricane House on Sanibel Island and Club Regency on Marco Island...and I only pay 1 membership fee for both.

Joining HGVC was also a good deal as I only had to pay one startup fee for both weeks. It was discounted from $399 to $199...so it only cost me $99.50 per week. That's a bargain.

Steve

Steve,
Was this the transfer fee to add another property to your HGVC account? I seem to remember that the fee is different for folks who already own at HGVC instead of first time buyers.

3 years ago they added my newly purchased resale bay club to HGVC(a seperate account) for free.


Short